A Slow Girl in a Fast World
by Wedgie Antilles
Summary: Hmmmm.... well, an American girl gets transferred from the Salem Witch's Institute to Hogwarts, and immediately starts having problems. Rated PG-13, but nothing nasty. The 19-and-three-fourths chapter epic is complete! Muahahaha!
1. It's those British!

Ummm.... try reading my whole fic before insulting me and my characters openly... until then, keep your thoughts to yourself as in these first couple of chapters my characters are not quite completely developed.  
  
It's those British!  
  
"Platform 9 and 3 fourths? What the heck is that? These British people are nuts!" Amanda Gallins pushed her heavy cart through the crowds at the station. It was her first time ever in England. By herslf. Alone. On the way to her new school.   
  
An owl flew loose in the air and grabbed her lucky red white and blue scrunchie out of her bun. Wavy strawberry blonde hair fell to just below her shoulders. She turned just in time to see a guy, about 16 judging by his looks, snag the speckled gray owl out of the air. "Is he yours?", he asked in a heavy Scottish accent as he offered her the bird.  
  
"Oh - no, but- thanks."  
  
"Are you American?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, Californian, to be exact. I'm Amanda, by the way. Could you by any chance tell me where platform nine and three fourths is?"  
  
"Platform nine and three quarters?" he dropped the owl and looked at her carefully, "you're for Hogwarts?" she nodded, "well I'll show you the way then." He gave her a mischevious grin and offered her his arm, but she had to refuse in order to push her cart along. They came to a wall between platforms 9 and 10. The boy lifted her off her feet quite easily, and placed her on his cart. He then grabbed hers with one hand, held onto his with the other, and ran full speed towards the wall.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Amanda grabbed onto the cart tightly, closed her eyes, and braced herself for the impact. But it never came. She opened her eyes just as he said, "Getting onto the platform. I'm Oliver. I forgot about that earlier. I'll see you around,"  
  
he turned and started to walk away.  
  
"Thanks! See ya!" Oliver turned around and gave her a very lopsided, very mischevious smile, and kept walking. 


	2. Oliver & Harry

Oliver & Harry  
  
As soon as Oliver was out of sight, Amanda slumped onto the cauldron, trunk, and bags piled onto her cart and smiled more than she had since the Salem school had closed the spring before. She had been 13, a 4th year at the Salem Witches Institute, and would now be a 3rd year at Hogwarts. "A cute boy just gave me ride on his cart," she sighed.  
  
"Geesh, girl, get over yourself," a redheaded boy nearby muttered under his breath.  
  
Amanda jumped to her feet, "Well excuuuuuuuse me, but I don't think I was talking to you, now was I?" She looked around to realize that he was standing with two other kids - a brown haired girl, and a skinny, extremely hot, black haired boy with glasses. "Sorry," she blushed, "Oh! Time to get on the train. It was nice talking to you, uhhhh.... ummmm......" she looked at the boy with the glasses.  
  
"Harry," he said.  
  
"Right. See you later, Harry." She nearly tripped as she got her cart, pushed it to the porter, and climbed onto the train. She found an empty compartment and slept peacefully for hours, until the train suddenly stopped. She jumped up and threw on her school robes before the cold wave hit her. She started to feel sick. A dark shape stood in the doorway, and seemed to be sucking the air out of the room. As it left and the door slid shut, Amanda fainted - right into the arms of someone strong, and smelling of cookies. "Hey, you might want to be a little more careful around those dementors next time," the laughing face of Oliver, the boy from the station, swam in front of her face. Everything went dark. 


	3. The Sorting

The Sorting  
  
"Firs' years over here!" a loud voice boomed over the noise of the students getting off the train. A shiver ran down Amanda's spine. She still felt really cold inside, and now on the outside as well ever since Oliver had set her down on the bench and went with his friends. "Firs' years over here!" the voice called out again. She heaved herself up, and made her way toward the huge man. It was her first year there, so she figured that that was what he was talking about.   
  
She followed a bunch of other kids younger than her to the edge of a large, black lake. The rain that was pouring down mad e it hard to see, but she loved the rain. She thought that it was a good sign. She climbed into a boat with several scrawny 11 year olds, and the row boat magically began to glide across the water. It seemed like only seconds before she was herded into a large hallway with all the other kids. A strict looking woman walked in and identified herself as professor McGonagall. "In just a moment, you will be taken into the Great Hall to be sorted in front of your fellow classmates. You will be seperated into Hufflepuff, Gryfindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Whatever house you are placed in will be like your family for the next seven years here at Hogwarts." The door opened, and Professor McGonagall strode into the large room beyond.   
  
The throngs of students pushed her throught the door and into the Great Hall, where, to her horror, she saw four long tables packed with students, and a table of teachers. Salem was nowhere near this big, she thought, "I think I'm gonna hurl," she said aloud.  
  
"Here, take my bag, I'm not going to need it," a young blonde girl stuffed a brown paper bag into Amanda's hands. "My mum's always afraid I'm going to hyperventilate. Puh-lease." she rolled her eyes.   
  
An old faded hat on a stool at the front of the hall began to sing a song, but Amanda was feeling too naseous to hear what it was saying. Then Professor McGonagall began reading names off of a list. "Adams.....Jones......Matthews.....Napall....."Wait, shouldn't I have been in there?"...Jamie Paterson," the blond girl started up the aisle, but began to hyperventilate, passed out, and was carried out to the hospital wing,"...Xavier...Yoon."  
  
The headmaster stood up to speak, but looked down from the table to see one lone girl standing in the middle of the Great Hall. "Can I help you, Miss Gallin?"  
  
"Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore, sir. Um, what house am I in?" Professor McGonagall nearly fainted when she realized that she had missed a student. She checked her list, but could not find Amanda's name. She looked to Dumbledore who merely nodded, and Amanda was called up to the stool. She placed the hat on her head, and began to hear a small voice, not in her ear, but in her mind. It seemed to be trying to decide where to put her when, finally, it decided to place her in Gryfindor. She stood up, tripped, then ran to the table nearest her, and sat down next to a Slytherin sixth year. Oliver lead her to the correct table, and a couple of red headed boys immediately decided to befriend her. 


	4. Something Snored in the Night!

The Snorer  
  
As soon as Dumbledore stood up after everyone was done eating, a silence fell on the Great Hall. All he said was "Time for bed!" and everyone scattered. Amanda followed the red headed boys who had introduced themselves as Fred and George, (and another boy as their brother Percy, and the boy from the station as their brother Ron, and a girl as their sister Ginny) through the crowded front hall, up some stairs, up some more stairs, through a tapestry on the wall, down yet another hallway, and to a painting of a rather large woman hanging on the wall. "Fortuna Major," Fred called out to the lady in the portrait, "If you say so," she mumbled. She then swung aside to reveal a doorway into a large, empty sitting room.  
  
"oh good, we beat everybody," George mumbled.  
  
"Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room," Fred proudly swept his arm across the view, "First year girls' dormitory is up the stairs to your right."  
  
"Oh. Um, well, I'm a third year," Amanda felt her face starting to heat up as they looked at her speculatively,"I transferred from the Salem Institute."  
  
"Well alright then,"they both grinned,"we can take a good joke." George pointed up the spiral staricase on his right, "there you go." and they threw themselves down onto squashy armchairs by the fire to wait for the rest of their house to arrive.  
  
Amanda crept up the staircase and pushed open the heavy door at the top. She poked her head inside and found it quite devoid of people. She padded softly in, shut the door, found her trunk at the foot of one of the beds, and then flopped down into her bed. She didn't hear the other girls come in.   
  
Sometime around three, she was awakened by a loud sound. She had no idea what it could possibly be. She heard it again. SNNNNNAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRK. She nearly jumped. What kind of animals do they keep in this school?, she thought. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Heeeeere -" she stopped. Somebody in the bed next to her had moved when she slid out of her own. She heard just a low whisper at first, but then was able to distinguish the words throught the accent. "It's not a cat, you dunce. Just Hermione."   
  
"Her what?"  
  
"Hermione. Now go back to sleep."  
  
"What's a Hermione?"  
  
SNNNNNAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRK.  
  
"A girl. Now go to sleep." Whoever it was was quite irritated by Amanda's ignorance.  
  
"That's a name?" she whispered, hardly able to control herself, "Hermione is a name?!" she laughed.  
  
SNARK!  
  
"I need my rest for classes tomorrow! Go to sleep, Lavender," Hermione groaned as she rolled over in her bed. SNNNNARRK. SNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRK. SNNNNNAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRK. SNNNNNAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRK.   
  
It's going to be a long night, Amnada thought to herself. She drew the curtains shut on her bed and laid awake until sometime after sunrise. 


	5. A Secret Admirer

Hey folks, just adding that I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it. I do not own the words that I am writing right now either since somebody else made them up and decided to put them in a dictionary. Oh well. Please read and review, it means a lot to me.  
  
A Secret Admirer  
  
The next morning Amanda woke up to an empty dormitory. She yanked back her curtains. looked out the window, and found that the sun was already up pretty high in the sky. She leapt out of bed, threw on her robes (which had miraculously changed to the Gryffindor colors over night in her trunk) and charged down the stairs to the common room. The brown haired girl who was with Harry at the station was sitting at a desk studying, but nobody else was around. Amanda panicked and ran out the portrait hole and all the way down to the Great Hall.  
  
"Oy! Amanda!" George had stood up at the far end of her house table," we thought you would never come down!"  
  
She slid onto the bench next to him and began to get herself some food until she heard a loud rushing noise from above. She looked up to see hundreds of owls flying in through one of the windows near the ceiling. She knew that she wouldn't get any mail, as her parents are afraid of owls. But just then, a large speckley gray owl landed on the table in front of her, knocking over her pumpkin juice. The orange stain spread through the table cloth and began to drip onto her lap, but she didn't notice. She took the note off the owl's leg and tore it open.  
  
  
  
The girl with the strawberry hair  
  
has kept me walking on air  
  
this feeling no charm can repair  
  
but tell me, does she even care?  
  
Amanda searched for some form of identification, but the rest of the crunched parchment was bare. She tried to grab the owl, but it was already gone. Fred and George both leaned over to read the letter, but Amanda tucked it into her pocket, ducked through the arms trying to block her from leaving, and slipped out into the hall, only to run right into Harry. His green eyes pierced hers.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Sure. I - I just, never mind. I must've eaten something..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say.  
  
"Are you sure?" she nodded, and he looked at her, unsure of what to do, "okay then. I hope you feel better," and he stepped around her and into the hall to sit down next to Ron, who would undoubtedly tell him about the letter.  
  
Amanda leaned against the wall and sighed. She hadn't even been in the school for twenty-four hours, and aleady so much had happened. She heard people coming up the hallway so she went back to the common room to get her stuff and her mind together before classes began. 


	6. Filch

Please read and Review. Am I going in the right direction here? Or are my chapters too short? (of course, that's however much I can write at the time that I am writing the chapter) Postive negativity needed here. Constructive insults or whatever they're called. =)  
  
Filch  
  
Once she had all of her books together, Amanda slung her bag over her shoulder and ran out of the common room. It was already 9:45, and she had potions all the way down in the dungeons in 15 minutes. As she charged down the corridor, she slipped on a rug, latched onto a suit of armor to steady herself, and dragged it clattering down with her onto the hard stone floor. It only took a seconds for the sound to echo down the long, empty hall, and for a musty looking old man to come into view around the corner.   
  
"And what is this, Mrs. Norris?", his eyes gleamed as he stroked the cat in his arms, "A student destroying school property? Well, let's see what Professor McGonagall has to say about this," he finally turned to Amanda,"follow me."  
  
She followed the mildewy smelling man down the corridor up some stairs, and to the door of a classroom. She could hear lessons being given inside. "Professor?" the man mumbled around the open door, "I need you to see a student."  
  
Professor McGonagall came out of the room looking quite flustered and gave Amanda a quick look over. "What is it? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a lesson, Mr.Filch?"  
  
Filch explained in the greasiest manner possible what had happened, adding in events that never took place, and ended his speech by recommending torture using the chains upstairs in his office.  
  
"I'm sure that will not be necessary," she dismissed him. "Now, Amanda, is it?" Amanda nodded nervously, "well alright, come with me." McGonagall led her through the classroom. Ashamed, Amanda looked up too see Oliver. He waved and grinned, but Amanda blushed all the way to the roots of the strawberry hair now tied tightly back from her face, and quickened her pace to keep up with the professor. The professor lead her into a small office through a door in the back of the classroom, and motioned for her to sit down in a large armchair. She then slipped her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the fire where a flame magically roared to life, making Amanda much more relaxed in the comforting heat coming from the hearth.   
  
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, found you knocking over armor in the halls, is that correct?" Amanda nodded, "Well, why?"  
  
"I was running - well, because I was going to be late, of course, not just for fun - Is it because I'm American? Are you racist against Americans?!" McGonagall didn't look too happy with her jumpy responses, so Amanda decided to calm down a little bit. She took a deep breath, "and I heard somebody laguhing, and then I stepped on a rug, slipped, and grabbed whatever I could reach to stop from falling. Well, it was a suit of armor, and it fell with me. And that's all. I promise!"  
  
Mcgonagall looked at her sternly, "Alright. Your first class was potions today?" she didn't even wait for a response, "that class is with the potions master, Professor Snape. You may not want to be late for his class again. I will write you a note to excuse you this time," she tore a piece of parchment off a large sheet on her desk and slid it across to Amanda and almost smiled, "now get to class!" she snapped, stern again.   
  
Amanda stood up, her bookbag still slung sloppily across her back and ventured back out, through the classroom, and down to the dungeons, not knowing what to expect. 


	7. The Potions Master

Thanks, Dracoisbetter0. I appreciate the review. Yet another chapter. I am becoming obsessed with this thing now... becoming the sensitive writer type, and spening time in class writng chapters that are about 5 or 6 chapters beyond where I am now. Does anybody know a good psychotherapist? I could use one right now. R&R, please.   
  
The Potions Master  
  
  
  
Amanda found the door to the dungeon ajar, and could hear a greasy voice coming from within. "Potter! You obviously weren't paying any attention when I told you not to leave the cauldron on while you added the Wolf's Bane!"  
  
She quickly moved through the opening and slid into a seat in the back, hidden by a large cauldron. "Did somebody just walk out of here?" the potions master snapped at a rather round, frightened looking boy in the front row.  
  
"N-No Sir," the professor seemed unmoved so he added, "B-But a girl came in."  
  
Professor Snape whirled around and immediately stopped as he spotted Amanda. "You! You're not supposed to be here!"  
  
"Sorry, Professor Snape, sir, but this is my first class here," she wasn't quite sure of what to do, "I need a little help."  
  
A glimmer of some emotion flashed across the professors face, and as he paired her up with Neville Longbottom, Amanda knew it wasn't a good one. "No, Neville, you add the unicorn hairs after you put the cauldron over the fire," she sighed, "honestly man, can't you do anything? I was doing this when I was nine at Salem!"  
  
The professor jumped a little bit, then glided to just behind Amanda's left shoulder. "When you were nine, you say?"  
  
"Yessir."  
  
"At Salem."  
  
"Yessir."  
  
"That school uses the same book?"  
  
Amanda looked down at her open book, then back at the professor, "Yessir."  
  
He seemed disappointed. "And just what was the last potion you practiced with last year?" he asked murderously.  
  
"The mind restorative with unicorn tails and phoenix blood, sir."  
  
Snape thought quickly to himself, that's the last potion in our seventh year books! he put on a smile and asked her to wait out in the corridor for the rest of the class. Stunned, Amanda scooped up her things and walked quickly out of the room. Were they demoting her?  
  
It was an excutiatingly long hour in the cold stone hallway before the students started to pour out of the classroom. When she thought that the rest of the class was out, she walked in to find Harry, Ron, and the brown haired girl who turned out to be Hermione the snorer, helping Neville mop up a mess of some sort of boil causing potion off the floor. "Amanda. In here," professor Snape motioned to an office full of jars of pickled things, and Amanda tore her eyes away from the scene of the four students breaking out in boils to follow him inside.   
  
"So. You are beyond even our most advanced level of potions here. Were you aware of that?" Amanda shook her head, and he continued, "I would say to throw you out of the school completely, since you obviously think you're so much better than us... but unfortunately, the headmaster thinks that you should just not take the course," he paused to run his hand through his greasy black hair, and scratch his hooked nose, "You could serve as a secondary potions teacher for the first and second years," he grimaced, "or you could go see professor McGonagall, the head of your house, about taking an elective class."  
  
"I think," she paused and looked up a jar with a human hand in it, "that I will go see about taking another class."  
  
"Fine. Get to your next class, Miss Gallins. Now!" he said as she took her time to get her bookbag onto her shoulder and stood up.  
  
Amanda hurried out of the office and out to the hallway. It is definitely time for a nap, she thought as she headed on her way to Transfiguration. 


	8. A Tale of Two Boys

Hey! Thanks for the reviews! I will love you forever if you read and review, people. Yes, I will let you buy my love. And I have gotten some constuctive insults too. Makes me feel much better. Thanks, The Raging Quiet, and as you can see, I am updating, and trying to slow things down a little. Well, okay, a lot. Enough procrastinating. I have to start typing this up now...  
  
A Tale of Two Boys  
  
The second day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was no easier than the first. Nor was the third. Or the fourth, for that matter. Amanda sighed heavily as she plopped down on the bench between Fred and George Weasley Friday morning for breakfast.  
  
"Hey 'Manda," Fred muttered with a mouth full of waffles.  
  
"Hey George," she grinned cleverly.  
  
How could you tell?" the real Fred looked his brother, then at himself using the reflection off his spoon, "Not even our own mum can tell!"  
  
"It's some kind of a trick, I think," George said having swallowed the bite of waffle and reaching for some eggs.  
  
"An American trick," Fred added as he jabbed the spoon at Amanda's US flag patterned scrunchie. Her hair was held tightly back away from her face in a bun. It had been since she had gotten onto the train after the whole owl incident. It was a new her. She could still behave like an insane American, but at least she wouldn't look like one at first glance.   
  
A loud "woosh" overhead told her that the mail had arrived. Amanda threw out her arm and waited for the speckled gray owl to land. It had become a routine. Everyday a new poem, note, or set of song lyrics would be delivered by the same owl. It was certainly flattering, but also extremely embarassing when receiving them in front of a bunch of guys.  
  
Finally, Amanda felt talons go through the sleeve of her sweater. She slipped the bird some bits of toast and untied an envelope from its leg.  
  
"Oooooooh. And just what has Tootsikins received today? Another letter from her lover?" Fred asked her in a sappy voice. Amanda turned scarlet. She had never allowed the boys to read the notes, but they had managed to get ahold of one on Wednesday. It had been a piece of pink parchment with the lyrics of an Acursed Brothers song titled "My Little Tootsikins".  
  
"No.... actually.... it looks like its a howler!" Amanda tucked the red envelope up under her sweater and sprinted to the door. She managed to get out into the hall, but then slammed into Harry as he was coming down the stairs to breakfast. Amanda dropped the howler.   
  
"I am sooooo sorry," she said as she stooped to pick up the envelope.  
  
Harry beat her to it. "You had better move it quick, or this things going to go off and everybody back there's going to hear it."  
  
"Oh. You're right," their eyes met. She realized that Harry's deep emerald eyes looked concerned - but there was something else... "Well, see you in charms then." She took the envelope and started to walk away. The howler began to smoke.  
  
"POP!"  
  
"Roses are red,  
  
Violets are blue,  
  
You may not know it,  
  
But I love you!"  
  
Amanda looked down at the burnt envelope that was still smoking on the floor. She slowly bent to pick it up, then took it to walk away. She turned only to find Harry frozen in place. His ears were glowing red. He seemed to be laughing."Harry! It's not funny. I have a crazed stalker!"  
  
"Not a crazed stalker," she heard him mumble. She turned as deeper shade of red than even him as he turned, forced a smile, and walked stiffly into the Great Hall.   
  
Amanda hurried up to the Gryffindor common room and sat down to finish her Muggle Studies homework. Only 2 days into her new elective class and she was already bogged down with homework. "How many sockets are generally found in a muggle power outlet?" she read. She found the class comfortingly simple, as her father was a muggle and she and her family had lived with him in the muggle world as long as she could remember. "Two" she wrote.  
  
A thought pushed its way into the front of her mind. She had just turned eleven. The day had gone amazingly well. She had even got the top score on her arithmancy test. Then, at dinner, an urgent owl came for her. Her older brother, Sean, had been rewiring an electrical socket. He had been told that the power was off, but it turned out that it was not. He died within moments of electrocution.  
  
Amanda sensed a movement near the staircase.  
  
"Amanda, are you alright?" came the very Scottish voice.  
  
Amanda brushed a stray hair away from her face and was shocked to find that her cheek was wet. She used her sleeve to wipe the tears off her face before answering. "Yeah," she croaked, "I'm just not feeling well," she lied, "I'm fine, though. Really."  
  
Oliver crossed the room to the table where Amanda was working. As he offered her a tissue, he looked down at the tear stained papers scattered all over the distressed old table top. "You had better get to class," Amanda looked up. She had never seen him without some sort of a grin on his face before. The furrowed forehead, and slight grimness in his manner was strange to her. He added, as if it was an afterthought, "classes start in five minutes."  
  
At his last words Amanda nearly choked. She managed to pull herself together within seconds and gathered up her books and papers. She started to walk quickly to the door, but Oliver was standing in her way. She ran into his strong arm, and allowed herself to be pulled into a tight hug. He was warm and gave her a feeling of safety, and somehow, he still smelled like cookies. They stood there for an eternal second before Amanda reminded him, "Classes start in five minutes," and pulled gently away.   
  
"If you need anything, I'm always around," he called to her retreating back.  
  
Amanda was too happy and sad at the same time to reply in any way. She walked numbly out of the common room. She would be late for charms, but she didn't care. 


	9. Astrology Homework

Thanks for reviews. Sorry, Libby. She's not supposed to be a Mary Sue, just a blond flake. I'll just see where it goes, I'm not sure if I'm capable of changing her personality. The bun is just so that she doesn't look like a CRAZY American. I guess maybe I should have worded that differently. The Raging Quiet, I am terribly sorry. I can't tell you who it is. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you ; )  
  
Astrology Homework  
  
  
  
The whole of the Gryffindor third years' Charms class was spent passing notes. Well, at least, that's how Harry and Amanda spent it. It started off with a simple comment, "Your shoe's untied." And turned into a very long and "interesting" note. It would have been no problem with Professor Flitwick, but that Friday morning Professor Flitwick was out sick. Unfortunately for the class, Professor Snape was the only teacher who did not have a class during that period. "Miss Gallins," his slimy voice interrupted her train of thought as she wrote. "Would you mind sharing what is so interestig with the rest of the class?"  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but this isn't interesting at all. It's just my Astronomy work, that's all."  
  
"Well then perhaps the rest of the class would like some help in that subject," he said with a sinister smile starting to appear at the corner of his mouth.   
  
Amanda stood up and walked slowly to the front of the class where Snape was summoning her. He stood over her shoulder and waited for her to begin reading.  
  
"Your shoe's untied.   
  
I know.   
  
Well why don't you tie it.  
  
Because I like it that way.   
  
Can I tie it?   
  
Sure.   
  
Oh goody.   
  
Oh no, not Snape.   
  
Do you not like him or something?  
  
He's like the devil.  
  
Yeah, I got that impression from the one class I had with him.  
  
Oh yeah. I forgot. You don't have that class.  
  
I know. Isn't it groovy?  
  
Yeah. For you. I have a whole footlong assignment due Monday.  
  
Bummer for ya.  
  
Hey, did you already do your astrology?  
  
Nooooo. Did you?  
  
No.  
  
Oh. So there's no chance of me getting them from you.  
  
Sorry. But you could try asking Hermione.  
  
I can't.  
  
Why not?  
  
She's a snorer.  
  
What?  
  
She snores! I can barely sleep at night!  
  
You're kidding.  
  
No, I'm not.  
  
wow. Snape just scratched his rear! did you see it?  
  
Naw. He was picking a wedgie.  
  
?  
  
Nevermind. too sick.   
  
Hey, can I ask you a question?  
  
Sure...?  
  
Can you help me study for the next potions test?  
  
Okay.  
  
Really?  
  
yeah. Have you ever noticed how nasty Snape's hair is?  
  
Sick. It's like it's full of motor oil or something.  
  
Hey. He's looking this way. What-" Amanda turned slowly to look at the professor, "That's all sir."  
  
Professor Snape was shaking and and his face was quite red, "Potter. Gallins. Detention. Now." he pointed to the door through which Hermione had run crying long before.   
  
She trudged out the door, leaving her things behind. It's a good thing I don't have potions, she thought, or I would never not be in detention. Harry wasn't far behind her, and she paused to wait for him.  
  
"It's okay. You had to read it. It's not your fault."  
  
"But what about Hermione?" Amanda was close to tears, "I embarassed her in front of the whole class."  
  
"It's alright. She'll get over it. Apologize to her after we get back form detention," he walked sideways so he ran into her, "I'll race you to the common room."  
  
"Hello? Detention?"  
  
Harry yelled over his shoulder as he was running, "He has to assign it later!"  
  
Amanda smiled and chased after him. He may be skinnier than her, but she could definitely out do him. She beat him to the common room with time to spare by using Fred and George's route. Harry ran in panting, victorius two minutes after Amanda had flopped onto the couch. He looked disappointed as he spotted her. "How could you beat me?" he let himself fall over onto the chair nearest him, and closed his eyes. When he opened them she was gone. "Amanda?"  
  
"Yeh," she replied shortly.  
  
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, not sure what to expect.  
  
"I'm going to Hogsmeade." her eyebrow shot up playfully, "Care to join me?"  
  
Harry shook his head, "There isn't an allowed trip right now, and I'm never allowed to go."  
  
"Come on," she pleaded, "I know how to get there without passing the dementors."  
  
"Mmmmmmm. Okay." He hoisted himself out of his chair and started toward the spiral staicase to their left, "I need to change first."  
  
As he went up the stairs, Amanda caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror near the mantle. She had changed before, of course. She was now wearing her favorite jeans that were covered with patches in a 60's style, and her indigo halter.  
  
The weather was perfect for a picnic. As Harry and Amanda emerged from Honeydukes the warm sun shone down on them and warmed their backs as they strolled toward The Three Broomsticks. A sudden breeze picked up and blew a poster up against Amanda's leg.   
  
BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC  
  
CUSTOMERS ARE REMINDED THAT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, DEMENTORS WILL BE PATROLLING THE STREETS OF HOGSMEADE EVERY NIGHT STARTING AT SUNDOWN. THIS IS TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS OF HOGSMEADE, AND WILL BE ENDED AS SOON AS SIRIUS BLACK IS RECAPTURED.  
  
"Sirius Black?" Amanda had no idea who he was.  
  
"He's a criminal. Escaped from Azkaban. Only one to ever do it..." he trailed off.  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry paid for the fries and butterbeers.  
  
"Harry, you're hiding something. What if this Sirius guy comes after me? What if he tries to jump me in a dark alleyway?" her laughing eyes suddenly lost their sparkle, "Harry?"  
  
"Just leave me alone," he snapped.  
  
Amanda took her butterbeer and fries from him, "Fine," and walked out, leaving Harry alone at the bar.  
  
"Stupid Americans," he mumbled.  
  
Outside, Amanda muttered half to herself, half to the ginger cat at her feet, "Boys are stoopid. Throw rocks at them." A grin spread across her round face as she turned and walked back into The Three Broomsticks. "Let's go Harry."  
  
He looked up and shook his head.  
  
"Harry! You can't find your way back without me," she sighed, " I wish I could leave you here..."  
  
Harry patted the stool next to him, "We could at least finish our lunch," he threw a quick glance out the window, "I doubt that you want to eat this outside anymore."  
  
Amanda was suddenly aware of the sound of hail outside. In the few seconds since she had returned to the bar the beautifully clear weather outside had turned into a barrage of ice chunks the size of golf balls.  
  
"I guess you're right." Amanda sat down next to him, and they spent the next four hours just talking before they spotted something outside.  
  
"McGonagall!" Harry whispered urgently, "Duck!"  
  
The professor walked into The Three Broomsticks, preoccupied by something. "Madame Rosmerta," she greeted the woman behind the bar, "Have you seen Severus in here today?"  
  
"I'm sorry, no. Would you like the usual, Professor?" the sing-songy voice of the barmaid came from right above the students' hiding place.  
  
"Not today." McGonagall's heeled boots clicked out the door.   
  
Amanda and Harry both let out the breath that neither one realized they were holding. "That was close," Harry said into Amanda's ear, "Let's get out of here."  
  
They crawled out from under the bar. Amanda placed a sickle on top of it and led Harry out of the pub and back into Honeydukes. She tried to ignore the scents of sugar and toffee and chocolate, but she hadn't had a fizzing whizbee in years. The two of them bought packs of chocolate frogs, and bags of levitating sherbert balls; boxes of sugar quills, and truckloads of every flavor beans.   
  
After their sweets were paid for and tucked safely away, the pair slipped into the back room. Harry led the way through the labyrinth of crates and boxes to the dusty trap door. As they entered the dark, damp tunnel, the scent of mildew mixed with the smell of wet soil comforted Amanda. Wow. I actually managed to pull it off, she thought. She had always been breaking the rules and getting away with it- but she had never imagined that she could get away with something this big. I can't believe I snuck out of shcool, went through a secret underground tunnel, spent the day in a completely magical town, drank the best butterbeer ever, and spent six galleons on candy - and did it all with a guy I really like. Oooooh. I hope he's my stalker.  
  
"We're at the end," Harry interrupted her thoughts.  
  
He boosted Amanda up so she could make sure the hall was clear. "All's clear," she whispered down to him. She pulled herself the rest of the way up, and dragged him out of the opening behind the statue after her.   
  
They dusted themselves off, then stood in an extremely akward silence. "Um. Are you coming down to dinner? It's about that time."  
  
Harry handed her the ribbon that had fallen off the end of one of her braided pigtails, "No. I've had too much candy already. I need to go do my astrology work anyway."  
  
"You mean you need to copy Hermione's while she's not around to stop you?"  
  
He gave her a devious smile, "Possibly. See you later."  
  
Amanda watched him until he turned the corner out of sight, then made her way down to dinner. It had been a very good day. 


	10. Chapter Nine and Three Quarters

I've most likely just killed my fanfic right here, but this is what I have to do for everyone to understand. Heehee. Stupid me, I forgot that the readers (whom I love so very very much) don't know as much as I do, since I'm the one writing it. Do I make any sense at all??? Hope it works!  
  
Chapter 9 3/4   
  
It only took a couple of days with Harry Potter for Amanda to get to know all of his friends. Amanda was totally in love with Oliver Wood, but had to come to the realization that he was four years older than her. She had already met Fred and George Weasley, they actually got along pretty well, but had managed to tick off their younger brother, Ron, the very first time she had met him. She embarrassed Hermione in front of their whole potions class. Amanda did manage to make good first impressions with most of the other Gryffindors, however, and Hermione and Ron started to warm up to her.   
  
"Ron?"  
  
"Yeah," he looked up at Amanda, "What?"  
  
"Well," she shifted feet, standing on just her left foot now, "I was wondering why you and Hermione are suddenly being so nice to me."  
  
"I'm not at liberty to say right now." Ron closed the book that he had been reading and stood up. "Goodnight." he said shortly as he left the common room without waiting for a reply.  
  
Hermione was Amanda's next victim. She found her in the library, "Hermione?"  
  
Hermione didn't reply.  
  
"Why are you and Ron so nice to me all of a sudden?"  
  
"Harry told us that we weren't worth it to him if we weren't going to let him make any new friends," she muttered, "So we had to at least get to know you, and I personally, have decided to like you."  
  
"I'm going to kill him," Amanda practically yelled, "How embarrassing! Making everyone be nice to me!"  
  
"Shhhhhh. At least you're not being cursed every time you walk around a corner," she grinned devilishly, "If Harry hadn't gotten on my case, you would've been."  
  
"Um, thanks, I guess, for not doing that," she scooted toward the door, "'night."  
  
As Amanda walked slowly down the halls back up to Gryffindor Tower, she had a lot of things to think about. "Why would he make them do this? I really wouldn't have minded all too much if they had treated me normally, of course, he probably knew that Hermione would have done that to me," she shuddered, "a curse? I've never been cursed before! I really don't ever want to be cursed! Or jinxed...," she came to the portrait of the fat lady, "Oh no! I forgot the password again!!!" Luckily, Percy Weasley was on his way out to make the night time rounds and let her in (Merlin's Beard). 


	11. All Time Lows

Oh, I'm sorry. Am I boring you? I'm boring myself too, that's why I wasn't writing. Actually, I think that I stopped because my character was beginning to look suicidal, so I had to cut a whole lot out of it and start over...  
  
All time lows....  
  
Oliver was avoiding her. Amanda's habit of going to every single quidditch practice made it hard for him to do so, but somehow he managed. It had only been a note, brought to him by Harry's snowy white owl, Hedwig, at breakfast three days before.   
  
Amanda didn't even look at what she had received (since her last letter which read, "I'm not a stalker, just someone who follows you around," Amanda ha had a teddy bear, a bag of Fizzing Whizbees, a red rose, a yellow rose, a dyed carnation, etc, brought to her by that same speckled owl) That Wednesday started off no different from any other. Except, of course, for the note that Amanda had taken up to the owlery. She had decided that it was stupid and childish to just sit and stare at Oliver all the time and he had the right to know. She looked down 3 seats and across the table just as the mail was arrived. Oliver took the note carefully off Hedwig's leg and unfolded it. 10 seconds later, he stood stiffly and walked out of the Great Hall without even a glance at Amanda.  
  
Amanda buried her head in her arms, her long blond braids trailing through her breakfast. "Hermione," she said in a muffled voice to the girl sitting next to her, "Let's go for a walk. I think I'm going to heave."  
  
Hermione tugged at her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Harry. Ron. We might be late for Care of Magical Creatures. In fact," she looked at Amanda's pale face, "We might not make it at all. Hagrid'll understand." And arm in arm, Hermione and Amanda quickly walked out of the Great Hall, down the steps, and out onto the lawn. They sat down near the shore of the glassy black lake.  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
Nothing," Amanda pouted as she chucked a piece of Hermione's toast into the lake and watched as a large tentacle shot up and dragged it under the surface, creating ripples that shattered the lake's glassy appearance and sent waves crashing onto the shore.  
  
"Come on. It has to be something to have you depressed like this," Hermione looked into Amanda's eyes, "I'm your friend. I can tell about these things."  
  
Amanda rolled onto her back, "I told him."  
  
Hermione could only give her a puzzled look.  
  
"I told Oliver. I sent him an owl."  
  
"Oh no," Hermione stood up and started to pace. "Why? What happened?"  
  
"Nothing. He just read it and walked away," a tear rolled down Amanda's cheek, "like he hates me," she whispered, "And he does hate me!" She threw down the daisy that she had been playing with and covered her face as she started to sob.  
  
"What did you write in it? Maybe he was just surprised. He likes you. Everybody picks up the vibes except for you," Hermione was desperate, "He told me! B-but I'm not supposed to tell you. He was asking me for advice. I told him that you don't hate him. He seemed to have gotten that idea somehow..." she stopped and looked at Amanda for some sort of reaction. Amanda had stopped crying and was now sprawled on her stomach in a patch of daisies.  
  
"You lie," Amanda mumbled, "like a rug!" she grinned," Advice my butt. You haven't said two words to him this whole year."  
  
"But you have been giving him the impression that you hate him as of late."  
  
Amanda opened her mouth to deny the accusation, but snapped back shut as she thought, "I have been giving him the cold shoulder lately," she grimaced, "especially when I yelled at him for trying to find out what that letter said."  
  
After three days, Oliver was still avoiding her. He wouldn't even sit in his favorite chair by the fire in the common room anymore, because she would be in the room. Every time they passed in the halls he would either be looking for something in his book bag, or suddenly find something very interesting on the floor at his feet.   
  
Amanda was depressed. Depressed to the point where she was constantly either listening to her favorite music, or writing on a never ending roll of parchment. Her self esteem dropped to a zero. That is, of course, until the winter dance was announced. It was just going to be a small event, a couple of songs to dance to, some dinner, some punch, and a secret sorcerer exchange, but Amanda had a very good feeling about it. She signed up to go right away, and ran up to the girl's dormitory to tell Hermione.  
  
"Hermione! Are you going?" she cried breathlessly.  
  
"Of course!" she raised an eyebrow, "Are you going with a date?"  
  
"Oh. I hadn't thought of that. But boys have cooties anyways," she pretended to cringe, "Are you?"  
  
"Yes... but..." she shifted uncomfortably on her bed.  
  
"Who is it?!"  
  
Hermione pulled out a small moving photograph, "I'm sorry. He just-"  
  
"Oliver?!" Amanda was livid, "How could you?!" And before Hermione could stop her, Amanda was gone. 


	12. All Time Highs and Some More Lows

All time highs.... and some more lows.  
  
The weeks leading up to the winter dance were total chaos. Everyone who was going home for the break was packing. They would leave right after the dance. All of the girls were floating around, looking for the boys of their dreams to take them to the dance. Hermione and Amanda, who had gotten over their little Oliver issue, spent most of their time laughing as they followed Ron and Harry around while they tried to dodge any girls who might want to ask them to the dance. As soon as any girl so much as looked at one of them, they would dive behind a tapestry or statue, or jump around a corner. Amanda found it amusing, feeling sorry for all of the girls without dates. No, she didn't have one, but she didn't want one either. All she wanted was her self esteem back. She needed to prove to herself that there was nothing wrong with her. Every spare moment she had, she would pull her bed curtains shut around her, reach under the mattress, and pull out the dress that she was secretly sewing. It was going to be the best.   
  
On this particular Monday, the Monday before the dance, the four of them were walking down the hall when Harry and Ron were suddenly cornered by Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Before Ron could turn to run, he found himself agreeing to go with Parvati. Lavender began to open her mouth to speak to Harry, but he threw his arm around Amanda, "Amandawillyougotothedancewithme?" he practically screamed, all in one short breath.  
  
She looked at him suspiciously, "Shhhhhhure..."  
  
Lavender quickly turned on her heel and walked away, her face a lovely shade of burgundy.  
  
"Wow, Harry, that was a close one," Ron breathed, "why didn't I come up with that?"   
  
"Because he's a genius and you're not," Hermione giggled.  
  
Harry, Amanda, Hermione, and Ron continued on to Transfiguration. Harry's arm, Amanda realized, was still around her shoulders, and Hermione still giggling fitfully. Amanda, wearing her ankle length black skirt, Gryffindor sweater, and heeled boots to match her skirt tripped just outside the door.  
  
"Aw geez," she surveyed the damage, "You guys just go to class, I need to go back up to the tower and change."  
  
After receiving many assurances that she was alright, the group went into class leaving Amanda to the grueling task of removing her boots. Seven and a half minutes later, as she yanked off the second boot, she fell backwards and into Harry's arms. "Oh. My. Goodness. Have you been standing there the whole time?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much." he grinned, then laughed, "you might want to hurry back up to the tower." He took off the robe that he was wearing over his sweater and slacks and held it out to her. Amanda looked down. She was standing in her tie dye socks, holding a pair of boots with one of the heels snapped off, and wearing an ankle length skirt that now had a slit from the ankle, revealing her calves, passing her knees, going beyond her thighs, and all the way up to her hips. Her face caught fire faster than a Christmas tree as she snatched the robe and threw it on.  
  
"Sicko." she muttered under her breath.  
  
"So I'll be seeing you at the quidditch game tonight?" he looked at her pleadingly, "Gryffindor versus Slytherin. We are going to kick their butts."  
  
"I'm not coming back to class?"  
  
He flashed a mischievous grin, "I can tell McGonagall whatever you want."  
  
"I will be back. Thanks anyway," she was shocked by his behavior, and trudged up the stairs in a lousy mood.   
  
Upon arriving in the Gryffindor common room, she found that Peeves was floating around holding up a pair of pink boxers. "I stole them from Wood, I did," he cackled, "But what to do, what to do?"  
  
"Take them down into Potions. That's where he'll be," she almost smiled, "And Then it'll be lunch time. Go to the Great Hall with them."  
  
Peeves cackled some more.  
  
"Now get out!"  
  
Peeves floated out of the common room making up a little rhyme to chant while displaying his prize. Amanda stomped up the stairs and into the dormitory and slammed the door behind her. She reached into her trunk and found nothing but her pajamas. "Peeeeeeeeeves!!!!" she hollered as she shook them out and put them on. Now spotted cows jumped over moons all up and down her legs, and a cow smiled back at her from her chest in the mirror. It would have to do. She threw Harry's robe over the back of the sofa in the common room and made her way down to Transfiguration. 


	13. A Quidditch Match

hmmmm... we-ell, thanks for the help, almost everyone who reviewed. I was shocked that I had ten more today than I did yesterday! Yeah, I'm not sure what to do to go back...am I allowed to add a chapter in between already posted ones? Or would that be considered uncouth? I'm so very sorry if Amanda is a Mary Sue. That is who she is. Some girls are Mary Sues, and if you have a problem with girls being portrayed as girly..... well, take it to some feminist group. And if I receive any more reviews that need to be censored, we're going to have some problems. You all have managed to buy my love by reviewing, so here is some more... (and the next thing I write will be revised chapters 10 and 11)  
  
  
  
A Quidditch Match  
  
That afternoon was a total disaster. During lunch, Peeves had displayed Oliver Wood's pink boxers for the whole school to see. The headmaster sent him out of the hall, but still, at 6 o'clock, he was singing:  
  
Woody boy's gonna make me hurl  
  
and now we all know he's a girl  
  
he likes his panties nice and frilly  
  
that Woody girl sure makes me giddy!  
  
He would then giggle in delight, blow a loud raspberry, and shoot away in the air. Amanda felt guilty about it - but only slightly. Besides, nobody ever had to know. She practically skipped up to Gryffindor Tower to get her jacket, gloves, hat, and ear muffs. She shoved her way through the excited throngs of people making their way to the quidditch pitch and managed to slump into an empty seat between Hermione and Ron.  
  
"Where have you been?" Hermione gave a sigh of relief, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to come."  
  
"Well yeah. I had to get around Peeves and the boxers to get here."  
  
Hermione related to Amanda how hard Oliver was taking it that the whole school was aware of the boxers that went through the wash with a red sock. She couldn't imagine how the poltergeist could have possibly gotten a hold of them.  
  
"Hermione," Amanda grinned secretively, "He's a ghost. He goes through walls." As if to prove her point, Nearly Headless Nick drifted up out of the empty seat on the other side of Ron.  
  
"Amanda," Hermione asked cautiously, ignoring the ghost that was now fidgeting with his collar to keep his head on, "you didn't have anything to do with this, did you?"  
  
"Of course not!" a cheer rose from the crowd, "Shhhh! The game's starting!"  
  
A loud roar from the people around her deafened Amanda as the Gryffindor team shot out across the field in their robes of Burgundy and gold. From the other end of the stadium came the Slytherin team, amid boos, hisses, and an extreme amount of swear words. Harry immediately shot up higher than everyone else to search for the tiny golden snitch. Oliver met the Slytherin team captain in the center of the field, the steam from their hot breath rising as they tried to break each other's arms. The game began and it was and exceptionally bloody, violent game, but Amanda took no notice of it. Harry flew high above the rest of the players. He was so cute up there, looking every where for the snitch, not participating in the violence like all the other players. Amanda lost track of time. She never heard the announcer calling out Gryffindor and Slytherin scores, or becoming enraged each time a Slytherin would attack a Gryffindor. She was in her own little world. Her own little world with Harry. She snapped back into reality as Harry suddenly dropped into a dive. He flew hard toward the ground and pulled up just three feet above the ground. Amanda released a breath she didn't even realize that she had been holding. Gryffindor had won, 300 to 60. The team began to take a victory lap. Oliver flew back into the team room, embarrassed by the hollers and banners involving colorful boxers.   
  
While she was watching him go, Amanda did not notice the burgundy streak hurtling toward her. The next instant, she was in the air, clinging to a Gryffindor sitting on a broomstick.  
  
"Did you see me catch the snitch?" her attacker asked.  
  
Amanda looked up and smiled, all her fears leaving her, "Yes, Harry, of course I did!"  
  
Harry felt Amanda loosen her grip as they left the quidditch field, and wrapped his arm around her waist, "so you don't fall." Amanda leaned into Harry's chest, "because I'm scared." The two of them flew silently through the darkening skies, their bodies doing all the talking. Harry slowed down and lowered their broomstick so that his quidditch robes dragged gracefully over the surface of the cold lake. He pulled up to brush their feet through the treetops of the forest, and finally began to near the edge of the school grounds. Amanda felt, then saw, a dark, huddled figure up ahead. She began to shiver as she felt an unexplainable fear wash over her. It was like every terrible moment of her life smushed into one. It was a dementor. Harry tensed and turned sharply back toward the school. The silence carried on until he found his voice, "You too, eh?" he tried to joke about it.  
  
"No," Amanda lied, "No, I'm just a little cold, that's all," and she was. Goosebumps had formed up her legs and down her arms. She shivered again. "I left my hat and gloves in the stands," she realized aloud.  
  
"Well you can get them tomorrow," he said speeding up, "it's too cold to be out here in just your pajamas and a coat."  
  
It seemed like only seconds before Amanda was saying goodnight and heading up to her dormitory, only to relive the whole night again in blissful dreams. 


	14. It's a Date!

No, Katherine, of course you're not being nitpicky! I needed that. I f anyone finds errors like that, please let me know. I went back and corrected the pub name in chapter nine. If I have to hear anyone else criticize this story due to the main character being a "pathetic Mary Sue," or a "F****** Mary Sue," or any other form of that comment, I'm going to chuck my computer out the window and go back to chiseling my stories with pictures on a stone tablet. I though that we had left the Stone Age, left the dark ages. Women can be Girly if they wish to, and my character obviously does. Sorry, but that is just the way that I feel about this. I pour out everything into writing this, and I'm being ragged on (in a rather inappropriate fashion, at some times) about things that don't even matter, my apologies if you are offended by a girly girl, but I'm sure that Mary Sue is also offended. =P ... So anywayz, now that I'm done rambling, Kitty Minky, it's not like it's my idea (I didn't steal it or anything though) it's just an idea and anybody could think of it. So write something, and as soon as you have it up I'll R&R. But now I need to get down to writing. I just finished my last two chapters, but I have had a really depressing day and need to write. Only problem being that I don't have enough time.   
  
It's a Date  
  
"Hey 'Manda," a groggy voice confronted her first thing Tuesday morning, "Just what were you and Harry up to late, late last night?"  
  
"No need to be repetitive, Hermione," Amanda grinned dreamily, "Absolutely nothing, if you really must know."  
  
Hermione's jaw dropped about an inch, "Amanda?"  
  
It hit her. "No Hermione! Why do you have think that way! Just because I don't feel the need to tell you in detail what we did last night doesn't mean," Amanda realized that she had been yelling. She waited for the heads of the other Gryffindors in the common room to turn back to whatever they were doing before, "well," she whispered," doesn't mean that we did it."   
  
"Er, of course – of course that's not – not what I meant, Amanda," Hermione was burning up, "I was just, um, wondering what you – what you guys were up to, that's all, " she almost tripped over the desk behind her, "I had –I had better go and get – get dressed now. I'll see you at breakfast."  
  
"Yeah, I know you were all listening," Amanda addressed the room full of people, "just ignore what you heard." But by that afternoon, rumors were spreading like a wildfire all over the castle. Harry and Amanda decided that it was best not to be seen in public together. Too many people were taking this whole affair the wrong way. But if Amanda found avoiding Harry rough, not avoiding Oliver was worse. He was just beginning to seem civil to her. Now, though, he refused to make eye contact, and started to go red each time Amanda's name was mentioned.   
  
Harry, the note Amanda passed him at dinner that night said, what about the dance? Are we going to be able to survive? It's this Friday, you know.  
  
Of course we could survive, he replied, the question being, "do we really care?"  
  
No. We don't.  
  
Good, so meet me at the entrance hall at 8 pm sharp on Friday.  
  
Alrighty then. So until Friday (unfortunately) I guess.  
  
Wednesday and Thursday passed by quicker than any two days had before in Amanda's life. Friday morning's classes, though, dragged on forever.   
  
"Darling Amanda," Professor Trelawney approached her in her usual airy manner an hour and a half into class, "I see abstention in your future."  
  
The next thing the class heard was a torrent of swear words as Amanda swung her book bag up onto the table, stuffed her things back inside, and stormed out of the class. Now she would have all day to get ready for the dance.  
  
Amanda was ready by 7 o'clock. She had used special potions for manageability before charming her hair up into a beautiful work of art on the top of her head. Invisible bobby pins held it tightly in place. It was perfect. She slid into her dress. It was perfect too. She stood in front of the mirror to apply makeup. She never had before. She applied a foundation, then blush, powder, mascara, and lipstick. She turned to look at herself in the mirror. Who's there? She called as she spotted an unfamiliar face in the mirror. Her heart stopped. It wasn't her. It wasn't beautiful either. Oh well, she thought, looking out the window over the fresh snow to spot Ginny and her brothers caught up in a violent snow ball fight, I'll go ask her. She slipped back out of her dress, hid it away again, put on her school robes and boots, and made her way out to the snowy lawn.   
  
"Ginny!"  
  
"Whoa. You look… different?"  
  
"So you don't like it."  
  
"…"  
  
"Me neither. I'll go take it off."  
  
"Hey! Weasley!" It was Draco Malfoy. Draco was a Slytherin that Amanda only knew by name, but the words uttered under the Weasley's breath made it apparent that that was who it was. "And the half breed besides."  
  
"Hello, Draco," Amanda said congenially, hiding the shock that he knew her name, "fancy seeing you out here. Don't you need to be getting ready for your dance?" she feigned concern, "Your date will be upset if you're not super hot tonight." A date which Amanda knew did not exist.  
  
Draco snatched up a fistful of snow and smashed it into Amanda's face. "Damn half breed'll look better once she's –"he stopped. Amanda caught on quickly. The makeup, she realized. It must've come off!"  
  
"Thanks, Malfoy. And smoochles." With that she mockingly blew him a kiss and hurried back up to the castle. She needed to finish getting ready now. 


	15. Run away

Hmmmmm. Where'd this chapter come from? I have no idea. But I have other chapters that need to be written up to, so here it is.  
  
Run away.  
  
As the sun set, Amanda put the finishing touches on her ensemble. She had put her gown back on, along with the matching heeled sandals, a shimmering crystal on a black ribbon as a choker, and long dangling crystal earrings. She glowed. She glided down the steps and into the common room to retrieve her cloak, and headed down to the entrance hall amid the gasps and stares from her classmates. She reached the entrance hall, and floated over to Harry who looked stunning in his navy dress robes, but he was nothing compared to her. She had done a beautiful job on her gown. It shimmered all the way down into a glittery puddle that trailed behind her as she walked. The halter accentuated her curves, and the perfect shaping in the flow of the dress made her size ten figure look much more like a six. She looked taller, and at least two years older than she had just two hours before. The midnight blue color of it not only matched the sky outside the heavy oak doors, but also her eyes, for the moment being anyway.  
  
"Are you going to say anything at all?" Amanda asked impatiently after watching Harry's eyes take the whole thing in over a period of 4 minutes.   
  
He offered her his arm, "Well let's go then," and with a devious grin he led her not into the Great Hall, but back up the stairs to the hallway where the way to the Hogsmeade tunnel. "But it'll be easier and cleaner this time," he said as she realized where they were going. He muttered the password and reached into the space behind where the statue had been. "M'lady?" he offered her a seat in front of him on his Nimbus 2000.   
  
Amanda grinned, took his outstretched hand, and sat side saddle on the broomstick. "To Hogsmeade, she whispered, and leaned into Harry to give him a kiss. As a thank you, she thought, it's not like I like him or anything. I like Oliver! Get a grip on yourself Amanda!   
  
And who should turn the corner into the hallway, but Oliver Wood himself! "Amanda!" he said breathlessly, relieved at having found her.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
He looked suspiciously at Harry, then back at Amanda, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
"Ummm…" she looked at Harry, "Sure," she looked back at Oliver sternly, "But only for a moment, "she said quoting him. Sliding off the broomstick she assured Harry, "I'll be back in just a second. Wait for me." She squeezed his hand and followed Oliver around the corner and out of sight. Amanda stopped after walking a pretty long distance, where the heck is he taking me? She wondered. "Oliver, what did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
"I wanted to know what you see in Potter." He said bluntly.  
  
"Umm, well, I – I don't know," she fidgeted, "He asked me to the dance, so I agreed to go."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Oliver blushed, "Well, Amanda, you see, I – I like you, okay? I like you, and if you still like me, I would like to take you to the dance." He saw her look of shock, "Just for one dance. Please?"   
  
He looked to be close to tears. And he was so hot looking in his emerald dress robes, and she just couldn't stand to leave him like that. But she would be leaving Harry instead. "Oliver. No. I can't. It would be wrong, and you and I both know it," But you love him! A voice in her head screamed. She was about to cry herself. She took off her heeled shoes, turned, and began to run. 


	16. The Twist of a Dagger in Your Back

More! I'm breaking my own heart!  
  
  
  
The Twist of a Dagger in Your Back  
  
Amanda woke late the next morning. It was Saturday, their first day of winter break. My date was on Friday, she thought, and her heart leapt as she remembered the long, passionate kisses by the fire, all alone in the common room. flashbackHe had caught her around the waist as she was coming down the hall. A change of plans. They had spent the evening together, just happy being there. On their own. He had pulled her down onto the plush sofa. Their eyes met, quickly followed by their lips. They hardly knew each other as they began, but their mouths shared all of their owners' secrets silently. The hours melted away, along with the snow outside. It had been perfect. Alone by the fire with only the sound of the rain pounding and their hearts racing. Perfect, that is, until Harry walked in.  
  
"Amanda? What are you doing?" the look of disgust on his face was too much for her to bear. She wrenched herself out of Oliver's arms and ran sobbing to the dormitory, leaving the shocked boys behind her. end of flashback  
  
How could I have done that? I promised myself never to behave like that! I could have said no! Tears started to well up in her eyes just remembering the look on Harry's face as he realized what was happening.   
  
The door creaked open and Amanda threw the covers over her head. "Amanda?" the voice of Hermione came softly across the room.   
  
Amanda tried to hold her breath and pretend to be fast asleep, but Hermione wasn't stupid. She knew. Hermione came over and sat on the edge of the bed.   
  
"Amanda," she said gently, "It's okay. Harry went out to the lake to be alone."  
  
"Did- did he say anything?" Amanda's voice was muffled by the thick, fluffy blankets.  
  
"No, but I saw you and Oliver together last night, and Harry seemed pretty upset… He was crying, you know."  
  
"The whimpers coming from under the blankets stopped. Amanda threw the covers back. "Oh. My. Goodness. He was crying?!" Her nose was red, her face was splotchy, and her hair that was so beautifully done the night before was a now a gnarl at the back of her neck. "What makes him think, for one moment, that we were close enough for him to cry over me?! He is thirteen frickin years old!!! He should not be crying over someone like me!" and with that she yanked the covers off her bed, ran across the cold stone floor, and stood in front of the mirror.  
  
Hermione spoke quickly as Amanda started to charm her hair back in to place, something she only did when in a hurry or striving for perfection. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, it- it's your decision, but do you really want to yell at Harry for crying over you? It could always be something else- and – and besides, you should feel loved that he would cry over you," Amanda stopped jabbing at her hair and turned slowly on her heels. Hermione was sniffling, "I've cried for him plenty of times."  
  
"Oh Hermione," Amanda sobbed as she fell into her arms, "I am so sorry!"  
  
"Hermione took her back to her bed, tucked her in, and climbed into her own. The two girls cried themselves to sleep. 


	17. Unable to Survive

Unable to Survive  
  
  
  
Harry wouldn't talk to her, Oliver wouldn't look at her, and none of her friends could understand. Amanda had never imagined that life could be like this. She had always envisioned Hogwarts as being a new place where she could be a different person. But Hogwarts turned out to just be a different place full of new people. She had become more depressed than she had ever been before in her life. Even she registered the feeling this time. Every day was torture. Every time that she spotted Harry or Oliver in the hallway, or the class room, or the common room was torment. Even though she loved to watch the Gryffindor team while they practiced, Amanda could no longer drag herself out to the quidditch pitch. Christmas came and went. The lack of people during the holidays made it hard to seek peace in the crowded halls or noisy library. Anyone who caught on to Amanda's mood resented it.  
  
"You need to quit with the drama," Ginny Weasley had told her Christmas morning, "Nobody likes you just moping around like this," she looked deep in thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, you don't seem to have any reason to be upset like this. Nothing happened…" she trailed off.  
  
"What would you know Ginny?" she had snapped. All of the pressure crushed her in that moment.   
  
"Put your quills down and pass your exams to the front," Professor Sinistra's voice dragged Amanda back into the present. Amanda looked down to find that after an hour, her parchment was still quite bare. Completely blank, to be exact. "Miss Gallins?" he looked concerned, "you need to see me after class." She buried her face in her arms and to await her punishment, submerging herself in the pools of self pity she was helplessly drowning in. Boys aren't really anything to get too concerned about when you're thirteen and beginning to fail all of your subjects, and Amanda knew it. But she couldn't help it.   
  
That night, going through her piles of unfinished homework, Amanda made up her mind. She slipped up to the dormitory, and wrote a quick note to Hermione.  
  
"Every day, and everynight, every time I sit and I cry, I no longer able to survive. The faces rush by, the hours slip away, and I cannot survive. The pain is evident, the fear I cannot hide, but nobody notices, and I am unable to survive. " It was ridiculous, but it would have to do.  
  
Amanda wrapped herself in her cloak and ran down the stairs, through the common room (without even glancing at Harry, Ron, or Hermione) and rushed stealthily to the astronomy tower. She looked down from the highest point in the school contemplating her life. It had been great. Everything had been wonderful. She had friends, family, a good place to live, and great grades. But there were so many things that people didn't quite grasp about her. Nobody fully understood her. As much as they tried, they couldn't comprehend how hard she had to try to keep her grades up, how much she had to lie to her self and everybody else to appear happy for a majority of the time. Nobody would ever understand her. Ever. She climbed up onto the low wall around the edge of the tower. The cold was starting to penetrate her cloak. "This is it", she whispered to herself, allowing it to be carried of on the breeze. Without even looking down or thinking it over again, she stepped off the ledge. She fell.  
  
(A/N: Oh gosh. I am getting depressed, aren't I? Better her than me. But never fear, my story will still be here. Betcha you can't stand the suspense! Dun dun dun! I already have the next chapter… but I may just wait to post it. j/k, of course! I have to do my chores and homework sometime, though, so more tomorrow. Hopefully.) 


	18. A Hero

A Hero  
  
As Amanda fell, the first thought to go through her mind was why. "Why did I do that? I can't fix it. Ever. There isn't any extra credit in life." flashback "Hi. Would you please stop calling me? No, you can't deny it! What are you calling me for? You already have a boyfriend, what more could you want? Hello, Domino's Pizza. What do you mean 'I called you'? No, we do not offer hang up service." Amanda and her two best muggle friends giggled. It was just after her eleventh birthday and Adam Shwee the 10th grader, her first crush ever, had gotten a girlfriend. Amanda and her friends spent the next five days and four nights at a sleepover, staying up late on laughter and sweets, giving each other makeovers and prank calling Adam's girlfriend.   
  
A year later, her kitten was hit by a car. Amanda's mother quickly replaced Saki with Mr. Woofles. Amanda could tell her new puppy anything, and his big brown eyes always were there to cheer her up, no matter what mood she had been in the last time they had met.  
  
Then she remembered her last birthday, thirteen. It was on that day that Amanda had been told that she could go to any wizarding school in the world. "Just give us the name, and we'll get you there, honey," her father had told her smiling. flashback  
  
Why was she doing this? She saw her father's blond hair and grey eyes, and her mother's auburn hair and sparkling green eyes. Then the image of Harry's green eyes, the sound of Oliver's soft accent, and the feeling of snow being crushed into her face by Draco Malfoy came rushing back. "This is why," she thought, and she almost smiled. Almost.   
  
Hermione couldn't figure out what was wrong with Amanda all of a sudden. She watched Harry stalk out the portrait hole, and went up to the dormitory to see if she could find any clues as to what had upset her so. Hermione immediately spotted a picture of Harry torn in half on the floor by Amanda's nightstand, right next to a picture of Oliver with a quill punched through his forehead. Hermione had known, of course, that Amanda had been having problems with both boys, but Amanda never stopped to think about how hard Hermione was taking it too. Hermione had always loved Harry, since the first day on the train she had had a crush on the boy who lived. The way his eyes sparkled when he played, the way he always cared so much about every one, and the way that his jet black hair stood up on the back of his head always mystified Hermione. And then there was Oliver. Oliver had asked Hermione to the dance several days before it was announced. Hermione had a feeling that Harry was going to ask Amanda to go, as he had asked Hermione how Amanda felt about him several times. So Hermione accepted his invitation, Amanda got mad, was asked to the dance by Harry, and everything was good in the world. Except, of course, for the undeniable fact that Hermione would much rather have gone with Harry. The night of the winter dance rolled around, and Hermione waited in the entrance hall for half an hour for Oliver. He didn't show up. She searched the castle, found Harry on his own, too busy looking for Amanda to speak to Hermione, and she understood. Amanda had run off with Oliver. She had taken Hermione's crush and Hermione's date, and couldn't get over the fact that her life was a ruin. "That girl is so selfish!" Hermione yelled into the silent dormitory. She looked over to her own nightstand. There was a torn piece of parchment taped to it. She snatched it off. "Oh God, help me." She whispered, and tore out of Gryffindor tower. It had been and hour since Amanda left.  
  
The ground was getting closer. Amanda dug through the pockets underneath her cloak in search of her wand. "I could levitate myself," she thought hopefully, but her wand was in her other jeans. She closed her eyes and prayed for a quick, painless end.  
  
"Oof!" another voice cried out. Amanda was on a broomstick. Safe, with strong, familiar arms wrapped around her. The broomstick landed gently on the frozen grass. Amanda was crying. Harry was too.   
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Were you spying on me?" Amanda started to pull out of the arms that she was still huddled into.  
  
"No. I- I saw you running up to the tower," he paused, "and you seemed…. different somehow."  
  
"Oh goodness," Amanda sighed, "was it really so obvious?"  
  
Harry nodded, "But are- are you okay?" he looked straight into her eyes.  
  
She moved her head slowly up and down, then broke eye contact as she pulled away, "but you're not," she whispered. And he wasn't. Harry's arm was sticking out from his body at a really odd angle. "Did- did I do that to you?" Amanda asked, disturbed.  
  
"Oh. No. I kind of did it to myself," he tried to be tough as he stopped himself from shaking.  
  
"Okay, Harry. Whatever you say." She smiled through the tears and shifted so that they were arm in arm, careful not to touch his broken left arm, and started toward the castle. 


	19. Moonlight Masquerade

Moonlight Masquerade  
  
Once in the hospital wing, it only took Harry several minutes to be patched up by Madam Pomfrey, but she kept them there, interrogating them for much longer. "What are these children doing these days that is so dangerous? Are we jumping of buildings now?" Amanda looked guiltily at the floor, the nurse didn't know, of course; she just figured that they were out being typical Hogwarts students. "Just- go, dears, and don't come here ever again!" she smiled. She didn't want any of the students getting themselves hurt.  
  
"Harry?" Amanda whispered as they headed up to Gryffindor tower, "Since we didn't get to do anything on the night of the dance, can we go out tomorrow night instead?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What? Why not?" she was ready to cry.  
  
"Because I can't trust you. How can I like or even befriend somebody who has treated me like this? I let you go talk to Wood for one second and the next thing I know you guys are lip locked." He sighed, "I just won't stand for it, Amanda." They were at the portrait. "I'll see you tomorrow," he kissed her on the forehead and walked through the opening ahead of her.  
  
"Wait!" Harry Stopped mid step, "Harry, you're doing well in all of your classes, right?"  
  
"Yes… except for potions," he replied, unsure of where this was going.  
  
"Can- could you help me get caught up in my classes?" she implored, "I'm going to fail if nobody helps me."  
  
He thought about it, smiled, and said, "That's all it's going to be. 'Night."  
  
The next several weeks were the busiest in Amanda's life. Every day, she spent her classes actually taking notes instead of passing hem, and spent breakfast, lunch, and dinner times in the library studying. The speckled owl still found her in the library, but Amanda couldn't take the time to wonder who could want to pay her this attention. Each night at six, she would wander out to the quidditch pitch and curl up underneath her blanket in the Gryffindor colors. She would watch her house's team practice, and then wait for Harry to make his way up to the stands. He would curl up under his Gryffindor blanket, and the two of the would go over the history of the Goblin Wars, or summoning charms, or even chart the stars if it was clear out. Amanda didn't have a moment of spare time anywhere. It was almost Easter time, when she would be going home for a week to see her family. After she got back, it would only be a matter of time before finals. She was not any where near ready.   
  
It was this particular night that she decided to open up her morning's owl to find something different.   
  
"Meet me on the front steps at 11pm tonight. Wear your dress."  
  
Amanda was shocked. "Am I actually going to get to meet my stalker?" she wondered. It was 10 o'clock already. She silently slid out from behind the desk she had been working at in the common room, and climbed the stairs to the dormitory. She pulled on her dress, slipped into her heels, and pinned her hair up. She glued a glittering jewel next to her right eye. She looked perfect.   
  
As she checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. It was 10:45. She floated out of the common room and to the front steps.   
  
Draco Malfoy came bounding down the stairs into the entrance hall only moments after Amanda arrived. She caught her breath and dodged into the shadows, shocked. He continued on to the dungeons. Amanda waited silently, unable to hold still in the suspense. Every noise could be her stalker, as she lovingly called him in her mind. Somebody tapped her on the shoulder. "Amanda?" the masked man asked.   
  
She nodded slowly and allowed him to put one hand on the small of her back and her hand in his other. Together they danced out onto the lawn under the moonlit sky. There was no music, only the rhythm of their hearts pounding as one. No audience but the trees. They danced through the night. Through the cold. Through the fog as it closed in around them. Dawn started to paint the sky in shades of pink and orange. "May I see your face?" Amanda asked her partner, the first words spoken in hours.  
  
"May I see your hair?"  
  
Amanda tugged at the mask as her hair fell to her shoulders. Harry fingered her hair that cascaded down her upper back and ended in gentle curls. Amanda felt Harry's lips with her own.   
  
"I'm not a crazed stalker, Amanda." Harry said in mock seriousness, after pulling back to catch his breath.  
  
Amanda giggled, "Just someone who follows me around?"  
  
"Exactly." He pulled her closer to his chest, picked her up, and carried her back to the common room. People were going to notice if they weren't back when they woke. 


	20. Split

Split  
  
"Harry! Harry!" Amanda came chasing him through Hogsemeade, "I got my grades back!"  
  
"Well?" he turned to smile at her; it had only been the day before that she had bothered to tell him that she wasn't coming back the next year. It hadn't sunk in yet.  
  
"I got Satisfactory in all my classes except for Charms, which I got an Outstanding in." she was glowing.  
  
"Wow. That's great, I guess."  
  
"Harry." Amanda said shortly as she threw down her bag, "you had better write me," she pulled him into a tight hug, "send me a letter everyday, or I'll track you down."  
  
"I would like that," he said, almost beginning to smile.  
  
"I'm sure you would, Mr. Potter," Amanda replied, mocking how serious he was attempting to be, "But for now, lighten up a little, kay? We have a while on the train still."  
  
The Hogwarts students boarded the train. Amanda and Harry found a compartment to have all to themselves and sat silently next to each other the whole way. It was too sad to have to be split across the world this way. Tears suddenly began to form as the Hogwarts express slowed to a halt. Neither one wanted to leave their perfect world. Amanda was first to stir. "Bye Harry," she said as she stood up. She was more beautiful than Harry remembered. She pulled her waves of strawberry blonde hair away from her face and into a ponytail, brushed the wrinkles out of her tan overalls and tie dye emerald shirt, and slipped a note into Harry's palm. "Remember me," she whispered, her eyes full of tears. She kissed him one last time, and walked out of the compartment. Neither student saw, nor heard from the other again.  
  
Fin 


End file.
